OREANDA-NEWS. October 03, 2008. EBRD Vice President Brigita Schmognerova is leading a high-level delegation of the Bank to the Central European Initiative (CEI) Economic Summit in Chisinau on 8-9th October 2008. Among EBRD representatives at the conference will be Erik Berglof, the Bank’s Chief Economist, the Director for Caucasus, Belarus and Moldova, Michael Davey, the Director of the Official Co-financing Unit, Alexandre Draznieks, and Libor Krkoska, Head of the EBRD Resident Office in Moldova, reported the press-centre of EBRD.

Established in 1989 only a few days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the CEI today comprises 18 central and east European countries. The organisation was set up as an intergovernmental forum for political, economic and cultural co-operation among its member states. Currently these are Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. Due to its membership structure, the CEI sees itself as a bridge between EU and Non-EU states promoting closer cooperation and know-how transfer.

This year Moldova is holding the CEI presidency and therefore hosting the organisations two major events: the economic summit in October and the meeting of heads of governments which will take place on 28th November in Chisinau. The economic conference will be opened by Moldova’s Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii and attended by senior representatives of member countries, businesses and international organisations such as IMF, World Bank, EBRD or the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank.

Various working groups and round tables will provide the participants with opportunities for an exchange of views and experiences. The summit will focus on key sectors for investments in Moldova and the region such as infrastructure, energy efficiency and agriculture. The EBRD to-date has invested more than ?250 million in over 50 projects in Moldova with a focus on private enterprises, financial institutions and infrastructure.